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4 School Children studying 5^th Std attempted Suicide as they were disappointed over Cancellation of the Annual Day Cultural Programme

1. Pavithra(10), D/o Ganesan, 2. Kavya (9), D/o Murugan, 3. Vidhya (9) D/o Vijay kumar, 4. Divya D/o Murugan, are residing in Aanathur village, Ulundurpet taluk, Villupuram district.  All the four children are studying 5^th Std in the Panchayat Union Primary School, located in their village. Among the four students Divya belongs to Dalit Paraiyar community and rest of the students belongs to caste Hindu Vanniyar community. Parents of the students are poor and they are daily wage labourers.

Every year Annual day cultural programmes were conducted in the school. For the current year annual day function was scheduled on 04/04/2014. Pavithra, Kavya, Vidhya and Divya have planned to participate in the dance programme. They were practicing dance for a song which has lyrics like parai in it and they are also rehearsing for Kolaattam dance. Their parents bought them clothes and make up kits worth Rs. 2000 for each children. Pavithra is very talented girl, who participates in all the cultural programmes and win prizes. As Pavithra was participating in the cultural programme, her parents who were working in a brick kiln in another village took leave to see their daughter’s performances.

Since the song having lyrics like parai (which is traditional music of Paraiya community), cadres of caste Hindu Political party Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) namely Sathriyan s/o Mahalingam and Elaiyaraja s/o Kutty Kounder, objected to the dance programme for this song and threatened that they will hurl stones if the school HM stage the dance programme. They threatened the Head Master of the school saying PMK leader Kaadu Vetti Guru is the chief guest for the Annual day function, hence they will protest if the dance programme for the song is allowed to be staged. Fearing attacks on the Children, around 12.30 pm School Head Master Mr. Iyyappan cancelled the Annual day function.

Pavithra, Kavya, Vidhya and Divya felt disappointed due to the cancellation of the programme and they decided to commit suicide. They bought rat poison from the medical shop for Rs.6 and bought a vegetable biriyani parcel. They came back to the school campus, mixed the rat poison with the food and ate it. Pavithra who felt hungry ate more poisoned mixed food. Around 2.30 pm Pavithra started vomiting and felt dizzy. On noticing the condition of Pavithra, her elder sister Deepa took her to the house in the bi-cycle. Pavithra’s parents immediately took her to the Eruvelapattu Primary Health Centre where Pavithra was given first aid. Later she was taken to the Villupuram Mundiampakkam Government college hospital for medical treatment.

Later Kavya, Vidhya and Divya revealed that they took rat poison. They told that Pavithra had more poison mixed food. Other 3 children were also admitted in the hospital for medical treatment. On 06/04/2014, Thiruvennainallur Police station Sub Inspector Mr. Kolanjiappan conducted an enquiry and got signatures of the parents in the blank paper. The police department failed to register a case and the PMK party cadres who threatened to hurl stones, the School HM who cancelled the function without taking the children to confidence was not implicated regarding this abet to sucide.

FINDINGS:

1. All the four students who were enthusiastic to participate in the Annual day cultural programme, were disappointed as the programme was cancelled due to lyrics/content of the song that they have chosen. They decided to commit suicide due to humiliation and disappointment. They bought rat poison and mixed with the food and ate it.

2. Pavithra who had more poisoned mixed food, started vomiting and developed dizziness. On noticing her condition her elder sister Deepa took her to the house. Pavithra’s mother took her to the Primary Health Centre and then to the Mundiampakkam Government Hospital.

3. As other three students told that they had poison mixed food, they were also taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

4. PMK cadres objected to airing of the dance programme of a particular song which has lyrics/words Parai in it (Parai is the traditional musical instrument of the paraiyar community). They threatened the School HM that they will hurl stones if they stage the dance programme for the song.

5. School Head Master Mr. Iyappan, fearing attacks on the children, cancelled the Annual day function, leading to the disappointment of the 4 students and their suicide attempt.

6. The Thiruvennainallur Police station Sub Inspector Kolanjiappan got the signatures of the parents in a blank white paper. He was found to be negligent to register a case regarding this suicide attempt.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. District Administration should provide compensation and ensure proper medical assistance to the children in order to avoid any future health issues.

2. Disciplinary action should be initiated against the Police Sub Inspector Kolanjiappan who was negligent to file an FIR regarding this case and who took the signatures of the parents to fabricate the suicide attempt.

3. Cadres of the PMK Political party who threatened to hurl stones raising objections to the dance programme of the song, leading to the cancellation and subsequent suicide attempt of the children should be implicated for abet to suicide.

4. The District and School Administration should ensure the scheduling of the Annual day function at the earliest and ensure the participation of the students performing the dance programme for the same song.

5. School Head Master Iyyappan, who failed to pacify the students and ignored their sentiments and emotions, should be implicated. He should have reported the threat to the police station and should have sought protection instead of cancelling the programme.

6. District Police Department should implicate the Murugan Medical Shop owner Iyyappan who sold rat poison to the minor children without making proper enquiry.